MY FIRST WORKING BREED PUPPY!!!!! :) - Page 1

hi im a young trainer and i got a black lab mix who i trained and raised myself. ok heres the thing i heard that a working bloodline dog if its a GSD  or mal or wat every breed wat if it was breed to have those extra drives its totally different then rasing a 'normal dog'.

I want all the advice ya can give me, i do know how to train and im a apprentice under a trainer who breeds working dog. But i want advice from things i shouldnt do things i should do to better the dog for the future things i should work on, toys to buy, toys not to buy, training tips, etc. everything so please help me so i can raise it right. THANK YOU

Invest is a good bottle of ultra premium vodka. 

You will need it.

Check out the leerburg site, lots of articles and info. 

There is no substitute for getting out there and training.  I had to learn by doing and watching.  there was not much in the way of internet, dial up modems was mainly all there was in the homes.


Yep you gotta  just get out there and experience it

@ Ace ya imight need to lol.  
and i will go read on leerburgh ty both

I just got my first W/L pup as well.

My trainer reccomended reading article by Armin Winkler. (There's a bunch here: http://www.schutzhundvillage.com/). We watched a lot of Bernard Flinks videos together and he quizzed me on absolutely EVERYTHING (where's the handler help, Stephanie?). There's also this article: http://www.threefeathersbulldogs.com/sportpuppy.htm. And like someone before me stated, Leerburg has quite a few. He's very informative.

I also reccomend calling around to a lot of breeders, watching trials (and not just Schutz ones, either. My trainer directed me to some Canine Freestyle stuff and agility as well).

He also gave me a book which focuses on schutzhund training and drive development. I can't remember the title or author off the top of my head, but I'll ask my trainer once he's off work.

But no amount of reading or studying really prepares you for having the actual puppy! I swore up and down that my little man had to have some tasmanian devil or wolverine in him somewhere - he's a little nutcase. Luckily they nap a lot while they're young.

Socialization seems to be the MOST important thing to work on for the first 16 weeks or so. Right along side building confidence, drive, and attention.

@ iprince thank you and i here you its crazy because i do know howto train. and i watched almost every leerburg video(free one) andread alot.

knows here another question leerburg dont believe in letting people petting his dogs aspuppies do you agree with that?

Again, I'm a newbie. So my advice is coming second hand from my trainer, and from my own (short) experience with my two GSDs.

I asked Lauri (my trainer) specifically about Leerburg's "no pet" policy. Lauri likes his dog's to receive pets from strangers - so long as they (strangers) listen and follow instructions. With Audi, I tell people to stop and let him come to them - no roughhousing, no picking him up, no impeding his movement. But a few soft pets are just fine. I always praise him enthusiastically when he returns his attention to me.

What I really need to work on is my growly voice for people who don't listen (or worse yet, don't ask). I've had lots of people squeal and come up to Audi and rough him about...and then I wanted to promptly kick them in the face and beat them with their own severed arm. >:C

But again, I'm a newbie. c: That's what I do, but I'd take my 'advice' as more of an anecdote then a lesson. There are lots more experienced people in PDB and elsewhere, who have better, more educated info to give.

And I'd love to hear some of it as well!

@peince i hear u. wat are some of the best toys to have?

Whatever works and isn't dangerous! I love kong products. I also use old rags to help with prey drive promotion. Balls on rope, or just plain (large) squeaky balls. Crumpled up packing paper can occupy Audi for quite a while. Icecubes, especially when it's hot. I let Audi "help" me sweep, too.

For time-occupying chews, I use kongs with peanut butter and kibble, raw meaty bones (with little or no fat), and smoked beef tendons. Antlers are suposed to be really good too, but I have to wait until family members complete a successful hunt this autumn. c:

I also frequent Value Village and Goodwill for decent looking baby toys. Most stuff safe for babies is safe for puppies...at least for the first few minutes! And it beats spending $20 on toys that don't last more than 5 minutes.